Gatherings I N T R O D U C I N G T H E I N D E P E N D E N T ’S G U I D E TO E N T E RTA I N I N G
HARVEST DINNER IN A DOWNTOWN ADOBE
by Wendy Read Photos by Nik Wheeler I have often thought that if you want to get to know someone better, have them cook you a meal. From the food they choose to how they set the table, you will get insight into who they are and where they come from. Welcome to Gatherings, the Independent’s Guide to Entertaining. Throughout the seasons, we will be telling the stories of how people in Santa Barbara County gather together, share meals, prepare food, and celebrate traditions. Whether it be a dinner party in a downtown adobe, a neighborhood potluck on the Mesa, a picnic in Alameda Park, or a farm dinner in Los Olivos, hosts from all over the county will share their favorite recipes, decorating ideas, and any tips they may have for making entertaining less stressful. Not only will Gatherings give you new entertaining ideas and introduce you to amazing Santa Barbara artisans and resources, but we hope it will also inspire you to create similar gatherings, bringing us all together for a better understanding of our community. If you are planning an upcoming gathering that you would like to share, or know of a neighborhood celebration, please send us word at gatherings@independent.com.
We would love to hear from you.
The Independent | November 11, 2021 | Gatherings | 1
Sally’s patio table ready for guests
A Feast for the Eyes Sally Terrell is an artist, and I can always count on a new creative project sprouting up in her home studio. Whether it’s making jewelry, creating assemblage art, designing the interior of friends’ homes, or collecting eclectic folk art, Sally’s sense of color and design is always finding ways to shine. I love walking into Sally’s hidden downtown adobe because it is full of interesting things she has brought home from her travels. Colorful frames, metal sculptures, large and small paintings, and whimsical wooden figures cover her walls. Objects have stories, and everywhere you look in Sally’s house, you can learn about different places and cultures. Have you ever seen a Haitian Vodou flag? Sally’s house is full of them. How about Honduran Lenca ceramics? Sally collects them, too. Everyone in her wide circle of friends feels lucky to share a meal around her large, rustic table. So my husband and I didn't hesitate to say yes to her harvest celebration dinner invite.
Adding All the Ingredients Preparing for this dinner meant a trip to the Saturday Farmers’ Market, where Sally has her favorite vendors, such as Jeronimo from Casitas Valley Pastures. He runs a small farm, where he raises chickens the old-fashioned way: cage-free, cruelty-free, pasture-raised, nonGMO, no antibiotics, free-range, and with sustainable farming practices. (See casitasvalleypastures.com.) “That is all important to me,” Sally said, “but just as importantly, they taste incredible. Juicy and succulent.” Jeronimo shared his roast chicken recipe with her a while back that has become one of her go-to dinners. “It only requires lemons, salt, and fresh herbs, and it is easy and delicious,” she said. As she zipped around, visiting one stall after another, her baskets were soon full of sweet carrots, delicata squash, yellow onions, bouquets of fresh herbs, arugula, a bag of Meyer lemons, a log of goat cheese, figs, and fresh pecans, plus bouquets of autumncolored chrysanthemums, bright-orange marigolds, and straw flowers. Following her around, I was reminded that the Santa Barbara Farmers’ Market is one of the city’s greatest calling cards. Or, as a friend once put it while visiting, “Of COURSE Santa Barbara has a beautiful market — even the vegetables are photo-ready.” (See sbfarmers market.org.) After a final stop at the Roan Mills stall for sourdough wheat baguettes (roanmills.com), we walked back to her house to set the table and prepare the evening meal. Sally’s menu included Jeronimo’s roast chicken, her own recipe of carrot soup, and two recipes — a fig arugula salad and delicata squash dish — from one of my favorite food blogs, Feasting at Home (feastingathome.com). For dessert, an apple pie and a pumpkin pie had already been ordered from Sandra Adu Zelli, the talented baker behind Gipsy Hill Bakery (gipsyhill bakery.com).
2 | Gatherings | November 11, 2021 | The Independent
Menu APPETIZER: Olives, Nuts, and Smoked Gouda Cheese Dip Sally’s Carrot Soup Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Meyer Lemons Arugula Salad with Figs Roasted Delicata Squash with Hazelnuts DESSERT: Gipsy Hill Bakery Pumpkin and Apple Pies
Turn the page for the recipes!
The Table Setting The table was transformed into a glittering, colorful harvest spread. Sally’s advice? “Choose a color theme and scour the house for objects that complement those colors. Flowers, plants, candles, food, fabric, ceramics, wooden balls … anything that fits in with your colors.” The final result was enjoyed by all. The candlelit table was gorgeous, the food was flavorful and delicious, but most of all, we were all so happy to laugh and share stories around a table again! If you know of an upcoming gathering that you would like to share, please let us know at gatherings@independent.com.
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Joining around the table were (from left) Rob Sternin, Mimi deGruy, Jim Dragna, Sally Terrell at the head of the table, James Read, and Pru Sternin. Not pictured: Sarah and Fred Kass, Amy Michelson, and Wendy Read.
The Independent | November 11, 2021 | Gatherings | 3
recipes
Sally’s Carrot Soup 10 Small Servings INGREDIENTS
15 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
Fig and Arugula Salad with Pecans, Basil, and Goat Cheese Serves 4-8
AUTHOR: Sylvia Fountaine from Feasting at Home
1 quart chicken broth (4 cups)
INGREDIENTS ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup toasted pecans
5 tablespoons of sweet butter
5 ounces baby arugula
2 tablespoons turmeric salt and pepper assorted herbs for garnish
(I used tarragon, sage, mizuna, rosemary, and pomegranate seeds)
DIRECTIONS
1. I f sensitive to red onions, thinly slice and soak in salted water for 15 minutes.
(about 6-7 cups)
6-8 figs, stems removed, quartered 10-15 basil leaves, torn ½ cup firm goat cheese, crumbled
DIRECTIONS: 1. Melt the butter in a pot. Add the onions, cover, and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. Onions should be tender. 2. Add carrots and chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
(use the kind in a log, or try gorgonzola)
SALAD DRESSING 3 tablespoons olive oil
3. Cook and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
2½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4. Puree soup in a blender or food processor or immersion blender until smooth.
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons maple syrup
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
½ teaspoon pepper
6. Garnish with different combinations of herbs.
¼ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Roasted Casitas Valley Pastures Chicken INGREDIENTS 1 whole chicken, washed and dried 1 thinly sliced lemon
(save 3 slicesof lemon for garnish after roasting)
Himalayan pink salt
(Regular salt will work, too)
olive oil ½ stick butter rosemary sprigs sage leaves 1 cup chicken broth DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
INGREDIENTS 2 delicata squash, sliced into ½-inch rings, seeds removed (leave skin on; it’s edible)
4 shallots, quartered lengthwise 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper
3. Heavily salt the skin.
3 tablespoons maple syrup
4. Stuff the cavity with rosemary, sage, and lemon.
½ teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes (optional)
5. Insert rosemary and sage under the skin.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
8. Cook for 1 hour. 9. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. 4 | Gatherings | November 11, 2021 | The Independent
4. Drizzle the dressing ingredients into the salad bowl (or feel free to mix dressing together in a small jar or bowl first), tossing the salad until all the leaves are lightly coated. Add the figs and goat cheese, and lightly toss to incorporate. 5. Taste, adjust vinegar and maple to your liking, adding more if you prefer.
AUTHOR: Sylvia Fountaine from Feasting at Home
2. Coat the whole chicken with olive oil.
7. M elt butter in chicken broth and baste the chicken every 15 minutes.
3. Place arugula, pecans, drained onions, and torn basil leaves in a large bowl. (At this point, you could refrigerate until serving, placing figs and goat cheese over top of the greens.)
Roasted Delicata Squash with Hazelnuts Serves 6-8
MAPLE APPLE CIDER GLAZE 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6. Place chicken in a roasting pan and put it in the oven.
2. Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 5-6 minutes.
(optional)
pinch of salt Garnish: 1/3 cup toasted, crushed hazelnuts; fresh Italian parsley
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 2. W ash squash and slice into ½-inch rings. Scrape seeds out of each piece with a spoon. (If you are in a hurry, you can slice the delicata squash in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds, then slice into half-moons ½ inch thick.)
3. P lace in a medium bowl with the quartered
shallots, and drizzle with oil and maple syrup. Add salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat well. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer (you may need two, depending on your pan size).
4. R oast in the oven 20 minutes, then check every 5 minutes, until deeply golden.
5. W hile this is roasting, make the glaze. Place vinegar
and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and Aleppo chili flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer, lower heat, and simmer until it becomes thick and syrupy — about 5 minutes. You should end up with about ¼ cup. Turn heat off.
6. W hen squash is done, place on a platter, scattering the shallots about. Top with the hazelnuts, then spoon the sauce over the top. (If sauce thickens too much while cooling, add a couple of teaspoons of water, heat, and stir. It will loosen.)
7. S catter with Italian parsley and serve immediately.